MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. Russia and Ukraine are poised to hold a second round of talks in Abu Dhabi on February 4-5; the New START arms control treaty between the US and Russia expires on February 4 with no extension agreed; and the European Commission is considering a complete ban on Russian oil imports by the end of 2027. These stories topped Wednesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Moscow and Kiev are preparing to enter a second round of negotiations in Abu Dhabi on February 4-5. On the eve of the new contacts, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in the Ukrainian capital, stating that peace would require tough decisions. At the same time, media reports emerged about the coordination of a Western approach to support a future agreement. The meeting will take place against the backdrop of an energy ceasefire that has now expired, during which Kiev behaved with relative restraint, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large Rodion Miroshnik told Izvestia. However, expectations for the round in the Emirates should remain modest, experts say.
The previous round took place on January 23-24. Although those contacts ended without a clear compromise on the territorial issue, Russian sources described them as not without results. An important development was also a meeting between Steve Witkoff and Russian presidential special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, held on January 31 in Florida. Another event that followed the first round was the energy ceasefire.
